2012 wedding planning guide

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Wedding Planning Guide Thursday, January 19, 2012

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Page 1: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

Mount AyrMount Ayr

Record NewsRecord NewsRecord NewsRecord NewsMount Ayr

Record NewsMount Ayr

Record NewsRecord NewsRecord NewsRecord NewsRinggold County’s News and Advertising Source Since 1864

122 W. Madison Street • P. O. Box 346 • Mount Ayr, IA 50854-0346

WeddingPlanning

Guide

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Page 2: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

Getting ready to plan a wedding? Here’s a month-by-month checklist of things to day that can be adapted to fit the type of wedding you are planning. Planning ahead and making decisions over time can make the process of the wed-ding less hectic and more enjoyable. Here’s the list:

12 - 16 Months before the weddingo Choose a wedding date. Don’t rush. Give yourself enough time. The best way to do this is to visit ceremony and recep-tion facilities at which you would like to be married and have your reception. Choose a date based on availability. If you give yourself a year or more to plan, you have a much greater chance of booking your de-sired venue on your desired date.o Start a wedding file. This is a file or folder to keep all your wedding documents, contracts etc... Organization is the key to staying sane during the planning phase.o Discuss & Choose the style and formal-ity of your wedding. Pick what best suits your lifestyle, personalities and budget. “Formal”, “Semi-Formal” or “Informal”. There is no wrong choice. This is your day and you should make it your own. This will also help in narrowing down which venues you will consider.o Put an announcement of your recent engagement in the local paper. This is op-tional, but is a nice touch and memento.o Decide on a wedding budget. Common sense dictates that you do not spend beyond

your means. The last thing you want is to begin your marriage in major debt because of your wedding.o Hire a wedding consultant if you plan to. Some brides choose to hire a wedding consultant to ease the stress of planning or because their schedule doesn’t allow enough time for planning.o Select a ceremony location. Keep in mind that reservations are sometimes booked over a year in advance, so if you find one that you like, put a security depos-it down to hold the date. Always check the cancellation/refund policies first and have them in writing).o Select a reception site. Many times the ceremony and reception will be held in the same facility. If this is not the case, be sure that the ceremony and reception facilities are available on the same date. also keep-ing in mind that they sometimes book over a year in advance. Again, always check the cancellation/refund policies first and have them in writing.o Start shopping for a wedding gown. Custom gowns can take up to a year to pre-pare. Be sure to begin this process as early as possible. Sometimes the wedding gown can become a stress factor, so the more time you leave for this, the better. Keep in mind that alterations and final dress fit-tings can also eat up extra time. There are no refunds on wedding gown purchases, so make sure your selection is 100 percent what you want. You can also start looking for a coordinating veil and tiara.

8 - 10 Months before the weddingo Select your bridal party and request their participation in your special day.o Interview and Hire the following: Don’t forget that not all of these service providers will be available on your wedding day, so be sure to have more than one to consider. o Wedding officiant. This can be a reli-gious or civil person depending on your beliefs and preference.o Reception Caterer. if your reception site does not provide one, you will need to ar-range for your own. Once you have found one that appeals to you be sure to secure your date with a signed contract and a se-curity deposit. As always, be comfortable with your selection, and know the refund/cancellation policies in the event you can-cel or change your date.o Photographer and Videographer. If your budget allows for it, hire a profes-sional. There will only be one chance to get this right.o Band or DJ. Interview several. Review demo CD’s to hear their sound and style. A good band or DJ can make a reception, but a bad one can all but ruin it.o Decide on bridesmaids dresses. When ordering your gowns for the women, be sure to order them at the same time to as-sure an identical dye lot. Be sure to bring this factor up to the person taking the dress order as well.o Start compiling names & addresses

for the guest list. Keep in mind that you still have to combine and refine your list, his list, his family’s list, your parents’ list and the final list. If you are limited to the number of guests that can be invited to the wedding, be sure to give your families the number of guests they may include in their list. By requesting a certain number of guest beforehand, you alleviate a lot of po-tential stress. Also, try to make the request even on both parents’ sides. o Sign up for a gift registry. Gift regis-tries are a great way of ensuring that you get items you really want and can use. It also makes your guests’ shopping much easier. Be sure to choose items for your registry from every price range to accom-modate each guest’s budget.o Engagement party. It’s a great way to get the families and friends together be-forehand. 5 - 7 Months before the weddingo Finalize the guest list. Determine the number of invitations and thank you cards that need to be ordered.o Shop for your wedding stationery. In-vitations, thank you cards and personal sta-tionery.o Arrange accommodations. Some guest (such as out-of-towners) may wish to stay at a nearby hotel after the festivities.o Select your wedding cake. Give careful thought to you & your fiancé’s favorite fla-vors, style, size, decorations and color.o Begin preparations for your honey-

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Page 3: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

moon. Consult with your travel agent and discuss possible honeymoon destinations and prices. Make arrangements early to catch the lowest airfares. 4 Months before the weddingo Book your florist. Once you have found one that appeals to you be sure to secure your order with a signed contract and a security deposit. Be 100% sure of your selection, and know the refund/can-cellation policies in the event you cancel or change your date.o Shop for your wedding bands. You should do this with your fiancé. You will both be wearing these rings for a long time, so you should both be happy with your se-lection.o Visit your physician. Get your physical examinations and blood tests if required to obtain a marriage license in your state. 3 Months before the weddingo Send out your invitations. Be sure to include everyone who received a save the date magnet or card. Double check the postage required to ensure that the invita-tions reach your guests.o Select tuxedos. Get all the groomsmen, best man and couple’s fathers together. Measurements should be taken at the tux shop (to ensure a proper fit).o Arrange for rental of items needed for your ceremony and reception. This in-cludes but is not limited to, arches, can-delabras, china, crystal, flatware, flowing

punch fountains, and silver if necessary. o Discuss finalized menu options and costs with your caterer. Confirm arrival and departure times, as well as any added extras.o Arrange transportation/ limousine ser-vice for the wedding party to the ceremony and reception.o Order wedding favors and ribbons (im-printed). Don’t forget the extra’s such as imprinted napkins, matches, and coasters.o Shop for bridal party gifts.o Begin any necessary counseling ses-sions with your wedding officiant. 2 Months before the weddingo Choose your wedding music and share your selections with your Band or DJ.o Select a location for your rehearsal din-ner and make the necessary reservations & deposits.o Confirm with formal wear shop that they have received all measurements of every male attendant.o Schedule your alterations and final fit-ting for the gown.o Schedule fittings for the bridesmaids and flower girl.o Make arrangements for your “Brides-maid Luncheon” and other “Pre-Wedding Parties”.o Order address labels with you & your future husband’s new name & new address. This adds a personalized touch when send-ing out your wedding thank you cards.

laid plans get made, carried out for big day

o Confirm your order with the florist. 1 Month before the wedding o Design your wedding programs. You don’t want to do this too much sooner than this because things inevitably change.o Apply for your marriage license.o Have a final gown fitting.o Choose all of your wedding accessories. There are many accessories that you will

need to choose for your big day.o Visit your hair stylist, work on a style with your veil.o Visit your make-up artist the same day.o Hair & make-up done, have your formal bridal portraits done.o Discuss and finalize details with wed-ding service providers.

Continued on page 4

Thursday, January 19, 2012 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition 3

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Page 4: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

2 Weeks before the weddingo Call any guests that haven’t sent back their response card (there will almost al-ways be a few).o Give the caterer a finalized head count.o Pick up your marriage license.o Give your DJ or Band a list of songs that you may have come up with since your last contact with them.o Confirm rehearsal plans with your of-ficiant and church wedding coordinator. o Obtain any legal information regarding changing your name for: Drivers License, Social Security Card, Vehicle Documents, Credit Cards, Bank Accounts, Investment Accounts, Passport, Change of Address Card with Post Office, Insurance Policies, Voter Registration Card, Subscriptions, Employment Records, Billing Address/Name Change.o Complete floor and seating plan for re-ception. o Confirm all rental and floral delivery dates and times. o Confirm arrival time for all attendants.o Check parking arrangements. 1 Week before the weddingo Make any last minute seating arrange-ments/adjustments.o Organize your wedding day attire, make sure you try everything on & it fits per-fectly.

o Confirm honeymoon reservations.o Confirm reservations for out-of-town guests.o Pack for your honeymoon.o Pick up passports (if necessary).o Gather all necessary documents for travel. o Confirm rehearsal plans with attendants and request that they arrive on time.

o Confirm reservations for the rehearsal dinner.o Pick up formalwear. Be sure to try ev-erything on & make sure all your accesso-ries are there. o Your Groom’s bachelor party should be during this week prior to the wedding. Re-mind him to be on his best behavior!o Have a relaxing massage.

1 Day before the wedding o Go through your list of things to do and make sure all your bases are covered.o Pack your wedding day emergency kit.o Get a manicure and pedicure.o Take a steamy relaxing bath.o Put wedding attire and accessories to-gether.o Give rings to best man.o Try to get a good night’s sleep!

It’s The Day of Your Weddingo Eat something! It will help the pre-wed-ding jitters if you have something in your stomach! o Get your hair and make-up done (wear a button up shirt to keep everything per-fect). o Have someone check the reception site. (as early as possible) o Dress for your wedding. o Have candid photos taken with family. o Enjoy, you’ve worked hard !! o Most Importantly. If anything doesn’t go according to plan, don’t worry, your guests probably won’t even notice the dif-ference.

Checklist ast time for wedding draws closerContinued from page 3

4 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition Thursday, January 19, 2012

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Page 5: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

Thursday, January 19, 2012 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition 5

When you think of a wedding cake, what comes to mind? Three tiers of vanilla cake sandwiched be-tween plastic columns? Lots of thick, white frosting and pale pink or yellow rosettes? A plastic bride and groom sitting on top? For many of us, this is the description of a tradi-tional wedding cake, but it doesn’t have to be. Today more and more couples are choosing a wedding cake with a bit more style. Wedding cakes today not only look good, but taste good. They also come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. From raspberry vanilla cheesecake to chocolate mint sponge cake, you can have just about any kind of wedding cake you want. Some of the current trends include: • Multi-flavored cakes. If you have several favor-ite flavors and you are having a hard time select-ing just one for your cake, this option is ideal. Try choosing a different flavor for each layer of your cake. Or ask the baker to insert a cream filling in one of the layers and preserves in the other. You can even choose a different flavor of icing, like white chocolate or strawberry cream. • Unusually shaped cakes. Oval, square, rectan-gular, hexagonal—you name it, and you can have it. You can also mix and match shapes and sizes to create an unusual cake. For a modern cake, select oval layers for the bottom and middle, and a heart layer for the top. Follow a current trend and choose a large square for the bottom, a slightly smaller square for the middle and an even smaller square for the top. Then ask the baker to stack them on top of each other, and voilà…a stack of presents. After they are iced, the presents can be tied together with a bow of sugared fruit. • Colored cakes. The icing on your cake does not have to be white, nor do the rosettes have to be pas-

tel. You can have chocolate icing with red rosettes, or vanilla icing with a touch of lemon and tiny purple rosebuds. You can even match the colors of the icing on your cake to the colors of your flowers, brides-maids’ dresses or decorations at the reception. Just make sure you take a color swatch to your baker. • Designer cakes. Wedding cakes don’t have to be plain. Add a unique touch to your cake with fresh fruit or flowers. For a stunning look, ask the baker to put a single rose on top or a cascade of lilies down the side. If you prefer something a bit sweeter, toss on some frosted nuts or chocolate candies. Try some-thing different and bring in a photo of your gown and have the baker copy the pattern onto your cake. • Personalized cakes. Feeling sentimental? Find a photo of your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding cake and have the baker copy it. Then serve the first slices to your parents or grandparents at the recep-tion. If you have extra layer cakes, find good photos of you and your fiancé, and have them transferred to the cakes. Choose an unusual topper, like two plastic gold wedding rings, or have your and your groom’s initials intertwined in icing. The styles and choices of wedding cakes today are endless. You can have just about any flavor and size of cake you want, and you can customize it to meet your needs and wants. If you are having an interga-lactic wedding, you can order a cake that looks like a spaceship. I f you are having a Christmas wedding with a French flair, you can order a traditional French holi-day cake buche de noël. If you would like to follow the Bermuda wedding cake tradition, you can order a tiny tree for your cake topper and then plant it in your yard to signify the growth of your marriage. With just a little creativity, you can have the wed-ding cake of your dreams.

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Page 6: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

6 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wedding vows serve two separate, yet equally important roles. First, the actual words form a commitment that bonds two individuals together as one forever. Sec-ond, vows offer a way for these partners to declare their love for one another in front of their friends and family. Traditional wedding vows are familiar to virtually everyone-regardless of cultural and religious background, the phrase “to love, honor, and cherish,” is typically as-sociated with the wedding ceremony. Although traditional wedding vows are time-honored words of love and commit-ment, couples are increasingly choosing to write their own vows. In fact, the prac-tice is now so popular that writing original wedding vows has almost replaced using the traditional vows as the standard for weddings. The options are endless for those who do choose to write original wedding vows. Some couples compose their wedding vows completely from their hearts using their own words as an opportunity to express their love and dedication to one another in a uniquely personal way. Others incorpo-rate literary quotes, song lyrics, poetry, or other published material that appropriately expresses their feelings for their fiancè. Still, some couples may choose the tra-ditional vow format, but change the word-ing slightly. For example, “I, Daniel, take thee, Elizabeth, to be my lawfully wed-ded wife.” would become “I, Daniel, take thee, Elizabeth, to be my wife and best

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friend...” As another unique alternative, some couples add humor into their vows. “I promise to laugh at your jokes, even when they’re not funny,” is one example. No matter what format you employ, it is commonplace to experience writer’s block when faced with a task as formidable as composing your own wedding vows. Bev-erly Clark, author of America’s best sell-ing wedding planner Planning a Wedding to Remember says it is important to iden-tify your feelings before you can express them. “It is important to talk to each other

about your marriage, discussing your be-liefs, dreams, and expectations.. Once you identify the things that are the most impor-tant to you, then you can decide how best to express them.” That said, we have compiled the fol-lowing list of considerations to help get you started writing your original wedding vows: What qualities do you love about your soon-to-be spouse? What are three things that inspire you about your loved one? What qualities do you believe will keep your marriage strong?

How will you accomplish that? What promises do you want to make for your life together? How do you complement one another? What have you learned from him or her? When and where did you meet? At what moment did you realize you were in love? How did it feel? What song was playing when you knew he or she was the one? Do you have novels, poems or songs that make you think of your love? What lyrics or lines mean the most to you? Essential to personalizing your wedding vows is conveying what is unique about the other person. Acknowledge your differ-ences and similarities; promise to respect and honor your differences as well as your commitment to building bridges that will strengthen commonalities -- express your faith in love and the bond that marriage creates between two people. Once you are done with this challeng-ing endeavor, you can concentrate on the more straightforward decisions like pick-ing out gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen and selecting your wedding favors. Ultimately, the wedding vows you write will communicate to your fiancè just how special he or she is, because you took the time to write down exactly what your hopes, dreams, and feelings are regarding your lives together. Share your thoughts on love with your future spouse and loved ones --write your own vows.

Page 7: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

As you plan the floral arrangements for your wedding, you will be faced with many questions. What kind of bouquet will you carry? How many centerpieces will you need for the reception? What kind of bou-tonniere will your groom wear? These are just some of the issues you will have to dis-cuss with your florist. After you have selected the colors of your wedding, you can start thinking about the flowers. To get ideas, go to the library and check out some books on flo-ral arranging, or look through some bridal magazines. Make photocopies or clip out pictures of arrangements you like. Collect them together with swatches of your wed-ding colors to give to the florist later. In the floral world, flowers carry mean-ing. Tulips, for instance, symbolize love; daisies, innocence; and honeysuckle, gen-erosity. Ivy represents eternal fidelity, while ferns represent sincerity. Keep this in mind as you choose the flowers and greenery for the floral arrangements at your wedding. For a more complete list of meanings, con-duct a search online. Once you have a few ideas, consider whether you will use real or silk flowers. There are pros and cons to each. Real flow-ers smell wonderful, but they are less hardy and more expensive than silk flowers. To reduce costs, consider using flowers in sea-son. Although they do not have a scent, silk flowers cost less and they can be displayed easier after your wedding. No matter if you use real or silk flowers,

Tossing the bouquet. Wearing something old, new, borrowed and blue. Throwing birdseed or confetti. These are just some of the traditions of a typical wedding in the United States. But what about the rest of the world? What kind of wedding tra-ditions do other cultures practice? Here is just a sampling. • In Peru, charms are attached to ribbons and placed between the layers of the wed-ding cake. Before the cake is cut, the single women gather around and pull a ribbon. The one who pulls the ribbon with a ring attached is the next to marry.

Thursday, January 19, 2012 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition 7

Many different wedding traditions around world

Flowers add beauty to wedding scenes

the number and size of your floral arrange-ments, especially your bouquet, should fit your budget and your needs. Generally, the larger an arrangement, the more it costs. If you have a small budget and need several pieces, you may have to choose smaller arrangements. As for your bridal bouquet, make sure you select a size that fits your

• In Venezuela, the couple sneak away from their reception, without saying good-bye, for good luck. • In Chile, the couple exchange rings when they announce their engagement. They wear their rings on their left hands until they are married, and then switch them to their right hands. • In Egypt, the groom’s family proposes to the bride. • In Morocco, the bride becomes mis-tress of her new home by walking around the outside of it three times. • In Sudan, seven broomsticks are burned and thrown away to symbolize the

couple’s discarding of any bad habits that could pose a threat to their marriage. • In India, the bride must enter her in-laws’ home for the first time on her right foot and knock down a container of un-cooked rice to bring good luck to the house. • In Pakistan, the bride wears red, which symbolizes happiness. • In China, a hair stylist arrives at the homes of both the bride and the groom the night before their wedding to comb their hair for good luck and prosperity. • In Taiwan, the couple exchange rings at the engagement party.

• In Japan, the bride and groom signify their union by sharing a sip of sake. • In the Ukraine, the couple share wed-ding bread with motifs symbolizing eter-nity and the unity of their families. • In Poland, the bride’s mother gives the bride and groom each a shot glass. One is filled with colorless vodka and the other with water. Whoever receives the vodka is predicted to be the breadwinner. • In Greece, the bride puts a sugar cube in her glove for good luck. • In Italy, the groom’s tie is cut into many pieces, and the pieces are then sold to guests to collect spending money for the couple on their honeymoon. • In Scotland, everyone gathers around the bride’s feet the night before the wed-ding and washes them to make sure she and her husband trot off on a fresh path togeth-er. • In Sweden, women wear three wed-ding rings, one for engagement, one for marriage and one for motherhood. • In Finland, all of the single women gather around the bride. The maid of honor then places a crown upon the bride’s head, blindfolds her and spins her around. Who-ever is in front of the bride when she stops receives the crown and is the next to mar-ry. These are just some of the many wed-ding traditions that take place around the world. For a more complete list, conduct a search online or go to the library. You nev-er know—you may find custom you would like to adopt for your wedding.

stature. You don’t want to be burdened with a huge bouquet that covers half of your dress. Once you have an idea of the type, size and number of arrangements you will need, it’s time to select a florist. Depending on your needs, it could be a crafty friend or a flower shop down the street. The per-son you choose should be creative. They should also be reliable and flexible in case you need to make changes to your arrange-ments later. No matter whom you choose, make sure you are comfortable with their services. Then give them your ideas and color swatches, and watch them create some beautiful floral arrangements for your wedding.

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Page 8: 2012 Wedding Planning Guide

8 Mount Ayr Record-News Wedding Edition Thursday, January 19, 2012

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